Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

Week 15: One Body in Christ

Critics of the Church often accuse Her of all sorts of scandal, politics, and power struggles.

Well, they’re right!

The Church today and through the years has been filled with disunity. We can’t pretend these problems haven’t been there in the past or that they don’t pose a challenge for us still. We have to acknowledge that when we are divided by politics, power, money, or even just our personal preferences it is a scandal!

However, that doesn’t mean we are not called to strive for the ideal. Jesus prayed that we would all be one as He and the Father are one. THAT is a challenge!

We are a Church made of people—sinners—every last one of us! But the Church is holy because Christ, her head is holy. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. To have unity in the Body of Christ makes real-life, practical demands on how we live. It’s something that takes sacrifice, patience, and love.

Am I a source of unity among my family, friends, parish? It requires us to bear others’ faults, understand their challenges, but still speak the truth in charity, and invite them to do the same for us.

Really living with unity in our homes and parishes isn’t easy, but Jesus chose to call a tax collector, a fisherman, and a zealot to follow Him. He knew it would be hard.

Lay Life in a Year Overview

Read the original: CFL Introduction, No. 12
Last week: Children of God
This week: One Body in Christ
Next week: Temples of the Spirit

Week 37- A Response to Busyness

Oct 13, 2024

In a meeting with my pastor about our parish, he said: “If we don’t fix things, the bishop will close this parish. We have to get more young families engaged.” Caught off guard and growing in concern, I asked him what activities the parish was currently doing....

Week 36 – An Unexpected Discovery from 1979

Oct 6, 2024

When I was a kid, my dad was obsessed with one particular VHS tape—it was like some secret treasure from the past. He held it out with a grin and said, “Now I’ll show you what basketball is supposed to look like.” It was the 1979 NCAA championship game—Larry Bird vs....

Week 35: Answering God’s Call—Even in the Small Things

Sep 27, 2024

It was a regular Wednesday—sun shining, birds chirping—and there I was: 15 years old, grumbling as I stood over the lawnmower. Mom had asked me to mow the lawn, and like most teenagers, I dragged my feet. The job seemed pointless and hot, and honestly, I’d rather be...